The Wild Truth
Carine McCandless
"The Wild Truth is an important book on two fronts: It sets the record straight about a story that
has touched thousands of readers, and it opens up a conversation about hideous domestic
violence hidden behind a mask of prosperity and propriety."–NPR.org
The spellbinding story of Chris McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked to Alaska,
walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in 1992, fascinated not just New York
Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, but also the rest of the nation. Krakauer's book, Into the
Wild, became an international bestseller, translated into thirty-one languages, and Sean Penn's
inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless to global fame. But
the real story of Chris’s life and his journey has not yet been told - until now. The missing pieces
are finally revealed in The Wild Truth, written by Carine McCandless, Chris's beloved and
trusted sister. Featured in both the book and film, Carine has wrestled for more than twenty
years with the legacy of her brother's journey to self-discovery, and now tells her own story
while filling in the blanks of his. Carine was Chris's best friend, the person with whom he had the
closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that
made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled
household, Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family. In
the many years since the tragedy of Chris's death, Carine has searched for some kind of
redemption. In this touching and deeply personal memoir, she reveals how she has learned that
real redemption can only come from speaking the truth.
Carine McCandless is an entrepreneur,
activist, avid hiker and devoted mother
of two daughters. She has been
successfully self-employed since she
started her first business at the age of
nineteen. As a public speaker her
presentations are featured in education
and corporate venues across the United
States. Carine consulted closely with
author Jon Krakauer while he wrote his
international bestseller Into the Wild, a
harrowing yet inspirational account of
the life and death of her brother, Chris
McCandless, published in 1996. She also
worked as a direct advisor and script
contributor to Sean Penn for his film
adaptation of the book.
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“The Wild Truth is a moving narrative of
domestic abuse, grief and survival, and for the
perspective and revelations it contains, an
essential addition to the Into the Wild story.”
(Newsweek)
In addition to custom personalization this version includes an
exclusive bookmark and embossed signature page.
Into the Wild has been utilized in education as required reading for high school and college
students for almost two decades, a time in which Carine struggled with all that remained unsaid. In
her memoir, The Wild Truth, Carine tells the rest of Chris’s story while sharing her own remarkable
journey, leaving behind a tumultuous childhood to find a new life without her brother and best
friend.